Brand New Boy

"Mam, did you think George was," I say, "a bit... weird?"
"Weird? Yes, I suppose so. But you kids are all a bit weird if you ask me. And to tell the truth, it'd be weird if you weren't."

When a new boy joins the class, everyone thinks he's a bit strange, but he's brilliant at football and loves crisps, and that's all that matters to Dan and Maxie. However, the truth about George is stranger than anyone could have imagined... and more sinister, too. Can his new pals help him to become truly free?

"Almond takes a thought-provoking look at AI, and what it means to be human, in an illustrated story set in the north-east of England." —Fiona Noble, The Bookseller

"Cleverly disguised as a heist, Almond 's moving page-turner ponders nothing less than humanity and free will, and how to have a great time in the woods." —The Observer (The New Review)

"David Almond tackles deep philosophical themes with an invisibly light touch in this funny story about George, a new boy at school." —The Daily Mail

"Like so many of David Almond's books, this ends up being a celebration of humanity and wonder, and of what it feels like to be young." —The Times